July Wrap Up

I’m back! And by back, I mean I read more than four books this month, and it feels so good! I made it through a total of eight books in July, and liked all of them. So I think it’s safe to call this month a win.

What I Read:

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman – ★★★☆☆. I’ve been kind of into thrillers this year – which is pretty unusual for me – and I was hoping an exciting thriller would help get me out of my slump. This one did keep me reading (listening, actually), but, ultimately, it was kind of disappointing. You can read my full review of Something in the Waterif you want to find out more.

The Romanov Empress by C. W. Gortner – ★★★★☆. This was not at all on my radar until the publisher kindly offered to send me a copy. And I’m so glad they did because this book was fantastic. It’s a historical fiction novel that follows Maria Feodorovna (the mother of Tsar Nicholas II). I’d actually taken a Russian history class in college that focused on the revolution, but so much of the information in this book was new to me. It was a great, albeit sad, read, and I highly recommend it. Check out my review of The Romanov Empress to find out more.

A Midsummer Night’s Dreamby William Shakespeare – ★★★★★. This was actually not my planned Shakespeare play of the month – I was saving it for the end because I knew I’d love it. But I had the opportunity to see it performed live and wanted to read it first. And I finally see why everyone talks about this one. It’s so good! Easily one of my favorites!

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik – ★★★★★. This was amazing! It was one of my most anticipated books of the year, since I loved Uprooted so much, and Rumplestiltskin is one of my favorite fairy tales. It did not disappoint. Very atmospheric and just a beautiful book. Read my review of Spinning Silver for more.

The Colonel and the Beeby Patrick Canning – ★★★★☆. I really enjoyed this book! It was such a fun read. It would take me a while to explain the plot, so just go check out my review of The Colonel and the Bee to find out more about this one.

Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart – ★★★☆☆. It’s been a while since I’ve read a young adult book. This one caught my eye for some reason, and I didn’t hate it. It wasn’t the most original thing I’ve ever read, but I did fly through it in one day, so it also wasn’t bad. You can read my review of Grace and Fury if you’re interested.

Less by Andrew Sean Greer – ★★★★☆. I tried to read this one a couple of months ago, but couldn’t get into it. This month, I decided to pick up the audiobook, and ended up really loving it! This was a great LGBT adult novel, and I can see why it won the Pulitzer this year. Read more in my review of Less.

Factfulnessby Hans Rosling – ★★★★★. I picked this up because it was recommended by Bill Gates, and I’ve learned to trust his book recommendations. This is all about why the world isn’t really as bad as we think it is, and it honestly made me feel better about the world as a whole. Definitely a worthwhile read!

What I’m Currently Reading:

Kismetby Luke Tredget. This is a romance novel about a woman who decides to see if she can find a better match on the dating app Kismet before her boyfriend proposes. I don’t think this is going to be a five-star read, but I am definitely enjoying it so far. I’m hoping to have a review up on Friday, so keep an eye out for that.

What I Watched:

Incredibles 2. This was so good! If you haven’t seen it yet, you need to.

Orange is the New Blackseason 6. Technically, I’m still watching this, but I’ve made it about halfway through at this point, and it is really good! I’ve missed this show.

What I Did:

Saw a Production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This was such a fun experience! I really enjoyed this play, and the production I saw was really well done!

Launched my Editing Business! I am so excited about this! I’m finally doing something I’ve wanted to do for a while, and I think this could be really good. I’ve been working really hard on this all month, and cannot wait to get started helping writers follow their dreams. If you want to find out more, check out my website for Word Nerd Edits.

And that’s it for July! I can’t believe it’s August already. This year is going by way too fast. But I am so glad my reading pace has gotten back up and I can get some good reading done this year.